Work

Investigating Rayleigh wave anisotropy in faulted media with three-component beamforming: Insights from numerical models and applications for geothermal exploration

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Rayleigh waves are prevalent in the ambient seismic noise wavefield and are thus often exploited in passive seismic methods to characterise the near subsurface. In fractured or faulted media, Rayleigh waves show anisotropic velocities that could provide information on the fault properties. However, the exact relationship between Rayleigh wave anisotropy and true anisotropic structures is not well known. This study used a three-component (3C) beamforming toolbox to analyse numerical full waveform seismic wave propagation from conceptual models of fractured media, which depict the nonlinear physical behaviour of the wave. We identify Rayleigh waves in the synthetic data produced from a single point source at different locations, compare observed Rayleigh wave anisotropy to structural anisotropy, and assess the effect array design and source distance have on Rayleigh wave analysis and observed anisotropy. Numerical analysis shows that the smaller the velocity contrast between fault and surrounding rock, the more complex the anisotropic response. We find that the slow directions of Rayleigh wave propagation can be a better indicator of fault strike than the fastest direction, when the velocity contrast between the two media is small.

Source: Wave Motion

DOI: 10.1016/j.wavemoti.2025.103596

Authors: Heather Kennedy, Claudia Finger, Katrin Löer, Amy Gilligan

Institutions: University of Aberdeen, Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies IEG, Delft University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Seismic Waves and Analysis

Subfield: Geophysics

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,640

Funders: University of Aberdeen, Natural Environment Research Council